Electrochemical power generation

ABSTRACT

A power generation system utilizing an electrochemical cell comprising a reactive metal anode, a cathode spaced from the anode and an electrolyte comprising an aqueous solution of the hydroxide of the reactive metal is disclosed. The hydroxide concentration in the electrolyte is controlled by contacting the electrolyte with an acid anhydride to form an insoluble compound of the reactive metal. The insoluble compound is separated from the electrolyte and the electrolyte is recirculated to the electrochemical cell.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to power generation systems and, more particularly, this invention relates to electrochemical cells and methods for improving performance therein.

2. Description of Related Art

Electrochemical cells utilizing a reactive metal anode, an electrically conductive cathode, and an aqueous electrolyte are well known. Such cells are described in detail in numerous patents and publications, including Rowley U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,871 (February 12, 1974) and Galbraith U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,248 (July 9, 1985), the respective disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The cell disclosed in the Rowley patent typifies prior electrochemical cells and utilizes a metal anode which is highly reactive with water and spaced from a cathode by an electrically insulating film formed on the anode in the presence of water. The anode and cathode are in contact with an aqueous electrolyte during cell operation. In the cell of the Rowley patent, the anode comprises an elemental alkali metal such as sodium or lithium, and the electrolyte comprises an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide or lithium hydroxide, respectively, produced by the electrochemical reaction of the anodic metal with water.

The anode of the Rowley patent is coated with a thin film of a non-reactive, partially water soluble material which is not electrically conductive. The film is porous and allows transport of aqueous electrolyte to the anode and transport of reaction products away from the anode. Preferably, the film is the natural hydrated oxide which forms on the metal surface as it is exposed to humid air. However, other suitable water soluble insulators may serve as the film.

The electrolyte of the cell disclosed in the Rowley patent is preferably a hydroxide of the alkali metal utilized as the anode since such hydroxide is naturally formed during operation of the cell and hence the cell automatically regenerates the electrolyte during operation. Thus, in the Rowley cell, water is introduced to the cell at a restricted rate and brought into direct contact with both the cathode and the anode. The water dissolves a portion of the soluble film on the anode, resulting in the production of a hydrated hydroxide of the anode material, plus heat. As the reaction proceeds, useful electrical power is produced.

The anode and the cathode are not in direct electrical contact with each other, but circuit connections are made at each electrode for drawing electrical power from the cell.

The alkali metal of the anode is highly reactive with water. This reactivity, however, decreases as the concentration of metal hydroxide in the electrolyte increases. As the metallic hydroxide concentration in the cell rises, the rate of power generation from the cell correspondingly diminishes, and passivation of the anode can occur if the electrolyte becomes saturated with the metal hydroxide. Thus, to maintain a desired level of power output from such electrochemical cells, relatively high concentrations of the reactive metal hydroxide should be avoided. Therefore, steps must be taken to maintain the reactive metal hydroxide concentration in the electrolyte at a level at which useful electrical current is produced. Optimally (at typical operating temperatures), the concentration of the metallic hydroxide in the electrolyte is maintained at about 80% of saturation for the electrolyte.

One solution to the problem of too great a concentration of the reactive metal hydroxide in the electrolyte is the continuous expulsion of a fraction of the electrolyte stream into the surrounding environment and the simultaneous injection of a similar flow rate of fresh water into the electrolyte. If the stream input and output are kept balanced and prorated by metal hydroxide production, this technique is effective. However, the technique has several disadvantages. Firstly, the motion of the inlet and outlet flow streams results in significant noise levels and the noise generated may exceed desired and/or tolerable noise limits. Secondly, the technique requires a continuous source of fresh feed water. For non-marine applications, there is no such ready source of inlet water and even if such inlet water were carried on board, its weight would, in most uses, be prohibitive. Accordingly, all such closed loop electrochemical cells require some form of "electrolyte management", i.e., the removal of the reactive metal hydroxide from the circulated electrolyte.

The use of simple acids, such as phosphoric acid, hydrogen fluoride, etc., as an electrolyte management agent for closed loop electrochemical cells, wherein the simple acid acts as a precipitant for the reactive metal hydroxide, generally suffers from the relatively great overhead weight burden imposed on the cell per gram of reactive metal hydroxide removed from the circulated electrolyte. Also, the extreme toxicity, volatility and dangerous propensities exhibited by some simple acids, such as hydrogen fluoride, make these materials unattractive as electrolyte management agents.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to overcome one or more of the problems described above.

According to the present invention, a power generation system comprises an electrochemical cell including a reactive metal anode, a cathode spaced from the anode and an electrolyte comprising an aqueous solution of the hydroxide of the reactive metal. In addition, the system includes a source of acid anhydride, which upon contact with the electrolyte precipitates an insoluble compound of the reactive metal.

The insoluble compound so formed is then separated from the electrolyte, thus reducing the hydroxide concentration in the electrolyte. The resultant electrolyte is recirculated to the electrochemical cell for continuous and efficient cell operation.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The sole FIGURE is a schematic flow diagram of a system for electrolyte management according a typical embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, a power generation system and a method of power generation and electrolyte management in aqueous/reactive metal electrochemical cells is provided. The invention contemplates a system for power generation having an electrochemical cell with a lithium or other reactive metal anode. The present invention may be used with any configuration of cell which operates to produce the hydroxide of the anodic metal in an aqueous electrolyte. The cell typically includes a reactive metal anode, a cathode spaced from the anode to define a reaction zone therewith and an aqueous electrolyte (with or without additives).

Lithium is a preferred anodic material because of its high energy density. Other reactive metals, such as other alkali metals, for example, may be used. The metal of the anode may be present in elemental, compound, alloy, amalgam or mixture form, as desired. Reference herein to the preferred lithium is exemplary only, and the invention is understood to encompass the use of other reactive metals.

An electrochemical reaction occurs at the anode, as is well known, to produce a cation of the anodic metal, and an electron. The anodic cation reacts with the negatively charged ionic specie (typically hydroxide ion) in the electrolyte to form an anodic reaction product, typically lithium hydroxide (LiOH) in the case of a lithium anode.

As is well known in the art, alkali metal anodes are coated with a water-soluble, metal ion permeable insulating coating of the hydrated hydroxide of the anodic metal. This coating naturally forms on the anode upon exposure of the anode to humid air and acts to modulate the electrochemical reaction

The metal hydroxide coating on the anode typically effects spacing between the anode and cathode, which may be in physical contact, but not direct electrical contact with each other. As is well known in the art, however, other physical spacers, such as foam, screen, beads or combinations thereof, may be present.

Referring to the FIGURE, a system, generally designated 10, for electrolyte management is shown. The system 10 includes a cell stack 12 comprising a plurality of reactive metal anode electrochemical cells. It is to be understood, however, that the invention may also be practiced with an individual electrochemical cell.

The cell stack 12 generates an electrical power output 14 which can be used for work. An electrolyte flow stream 16, containing dissolved lithium hydroxide with hydrogen gas dispersed therein, is circulated from the cell stack 12 through a heat exchanger 18. The hydrogen gas forms as a by-product of the parasitic corrosion reaction which occurs in each cell of the stack 12. The heat exchanger 18 removes heat from the stream 16 by indirectly contacting the stream 16 with a cooling stream 20 of air or water passing through heat exchanger 18. Cooling of the stream 16 facilitates handling of the electrolyte.

A cooled electrolyte flow stream 22 exits the heat exchanger 18 and is passed to an electrolyte reservoir/gas separator 24 wherein hydrogen gas, as well as other gases which may be present in the electrolyte flow stream 22, are vented, as signified by the flow stream 26, resulting in an aqueous lithium hydroxide solution, depicted as a flow stream 28. The stream 28 is circulated from the reservoir/gas separator 24 to a gas/liquid contactor 30. The gas/liquid contactor 30 may, if desired, take the form of a contact scrubber such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,249 to Galbraith.

An acid anhydride, in liquid form, is circulated from a storage container 32 by means of a pump 34 through a stream 36 to the contactor 30 wherein the acid anhydride reacts with lithium hydroxide in the stream 28 to form an insoluble compound of lithium, as described in more detail below.

A product stream 40 passes from the contactor 30 to a suitable liquid/solid separating means 42, such as a centrifuge or filter, for example, for the removal of solids, signified by a flow stream 44, including the insoluble compound of lithium. The compound so removed can be ejected from the cell to remove unnecessary weight, or it can be stored for later recovery of its lithium metal.

A circulation pump 46 circulates the electrolyte from the separator 42 via a stream 50 to the cell stack 12, for use of the electrolyte in producing electrical power.

Rather than simple acids such as H₃ PO₄, HF, etc., the invention utilizes alkaline hydrolyzable anhydrides of simple or complex acids as electrolyte management agents. These anhydrides neutralize aqueous lithium hydroxide to generally yield one or more insoluble compounds or insoluble complex compounds containing two or more anions.

In general, these anhydrides contain an element of high electroconductivity such as the metal titanium, an element of intermediate electroconductivity such as the semi-metal silicon, or an element of substantially no electroconductivity such as the non-metal phosphorous. The anhydrides will also preferably contain either oxygen or a halide, with fluorine being an especially preferred halide. Preferred anhydride compounds include P₂ O₅, SiF₄, PF₅, TiF₄ and Ti(OR)₄, where R is an organic radical, preferably a lower alkyl group. Alternatively, the anhydrides may contain both oxygen and a halide, with fluorine again being of specially preferred halide. Examples of such anhydrides which are useful in the present invention include SiOF₂, POF₃, and p₂ O₃ F₄.

The use of a simple acid as a precipitant for the reactive metal hydroxide generally imposes on the cell a comparatively great overhead weight burden per gram of metal (from the hydroxide) removed from the electrolyte as compared to the acid anhydrides of the present invention. For example, the use of phosphoric acid as the electrolyte management chemical precipitant imposes a burden of 4.7 grams for each gram of lithium metal precipitated from the electrolyte. Phosphoric acid reacts with the lithium hydroxide in the electrolyte, as follows:

    3LiOH+H.sub.3 PO.sub.4 →Li.sub.3 PO.sub.4 (s)+3H.sub.2 0 Burden: 4.7 g/gLi

As indicated by the above reaction, three moles of lithium (having a gram molecular weight of about 6.94 g/mole) precipitate out of solution (in the form of Li₃ PO₄) per mole of phosphoric acid (having a molecular weight of about 98.00 g/mole). Thus, about 4.7 grams of precipitant, in the form of phosphoric acid, are required per gram of lithium precipitated.

The acid anhydrides of the present invention, however, are generally less gravimetrically burdensome than such simple acids, as the following exemplary reactions indicate:

    ______________________________________                                                                    Burden                                                                         (g/gLi)                                             ______________________________________                                         P.sub.2 O.sub.5 + 6LiOH → 2Li.sub.3 PO.sub.4 (s) + 3H.sub.2                                          3.4                                               SiF.sub.4 + 6LiOH → Li.sub.2 SiO.sub.3 (s) + 4LiF(s) + 3H.sub.2                                      2.5                                               PF.sub.5 + 8LiOH → Li.sub.3 PO.sub.4 (s) + 5LiF(s) + 4H.sub.2                                        2.3                                               SiOF.sub.2 + 4LiOH → Li.sub.2 SiO.sub.3 (s) + 2LiF(s) + 2H.sub.2                                     2.9                                               POF.sub.3 + 6LiOH → Li.sub.3 PO.sub.4 (s) + 3LiF(s) + 3H.sub.2                                       2.5                                               P.sub.2 O.sub.3 F.sub.4 + 10LiOH → 2Li.sub.3 PO.sub.4 (s) +             4LiF(s) + 5H.sub.2 O         2.7                                               ______________________________________                                    

Some simple acids, such as hydrogen fluoride, for example, are more gravimetrically attractive than the previously identified simple acid, phosphoric acid. Hydrogen fluoride imposes a burden of about 2.9 g/gLi as compared to the burden of 4.7 g/gLi imposed by H₃ PO₄. Hydrogen fluoride, however, exhibits such extreme toxicity and volatility, that for safety reasons, the use thereof as an electrolyte management agent is not desirable. The anhydrides of the present invention, while exhibiting gravimetric advantages comparable to that of hydrogen fluoride, do not present similar handling dangers. Thus, the anhydrides of the invention can be more easily and safe used as an electrolyte management agent for closed loop electrochemical cells.

In view of the direct correlation between atomic numbers, atomic weight and molecular weight, i.e., atoms with higher atomic numbers have greater atomic weights and molecules comprising atoms having greater atomic weights have higher molecular weights, generally only those acid anhydrides comprising elements having atomic numbers less than about 70 are acceptable, with those acid anhydrides comprising elements having atomic numbers less than about 35 being especially preferred. For example, BF₃ and BF₃.H₂ 0 are preferred acid anhydrides that comprise elements having atomic numbers less than about 35.

The acid anhydrides of the present invention may be selected from solids, liquids or gases as is deemed appropriate for a given application. Thus, a gaseous form of acid anhydride, wherein the pressurized anhydride gas is readily condensable with low pressures and thus eliminating the need for pumps, may be especially attractive because of ease of handling. Preferred gaseous anhydrides to be used in the practice of the invention include POF₃, PF₅ and BF3.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom, as modifications within the scope of the invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art. 

We claim:
 1. A power generation system comprising:an electrochemical cell including a reactive metal anode, a cathode spaced from said anode, and an electrolyte comprising an aqueous solution of the hydroxide of said reactive metal; a source of an acid anhydride which reacts with said electrolyte to precipitate at least one insoluble compound of said reactive metal; means for contacting said electrolyte with said acid anhydride to form at least one insoluble compound of said reactive metal; means for separating said insoluble compound from said electrolyte; and means for recirculating said separated electrolyte to said electrochemical cell.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein said reactive metal comprises an alkali metal.
 3. The system of claim 2 wherein said alkali metal comprises lithium.
 4. The system of claim 1 wherein said acid anhydride comprises a compound of an element selected from the group consisting of phosphorous, silicon and titanium.
 5. The system of claim 4 wherein said compound additionally comprises an element selected from the group consisting of fluorine and oxygen.
 6. The system of claim 5 wherein said acid anhydride comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of P₂ O₅, SiF₄, PF₅, TiF₄ and Ti(OR)₄, where R is an organic radical.
 7. The system of claim 6 wherein said organic radical is a lower alkyl group.
 8. The system of claim 5 wherein said acid anhydride comprises a compound of oxygen and fluorine.
 9. The system of claim 8 wherein said acid anhydride comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of SiOF₂, POF₃ and P₂ 0₃ F₄.
 10. The system of claim 1 wherein said acid anhydride comprises elements having atomic numbers less than about
 70. 11. The system of claim 10 wherein said acid anhydride comprises elements having atomic numbers less than about
 35. 12. The system of claim 11 wherein said acid anhydride comprises a compound of boron.
 13. The system of claim 12 wherein said acid anhydride comprises a compound select from the group consisting of BF₃ and BF₃.H₂
 0. 14. The system of claim 1 wherein said acid anhydride is provided in a gaseous form.
 15. The system of claim 14 wherein said acid anhydride comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of POF₃, BF₅ and BF₃.
 16. A method of power generation, said method comprising the steps of:supplying an electrolyte to an electrochemical reaction zone defined between a reactive metal anode and a cathode spaced from said anode in an electrochemical cell, said electrolyte comprising an aqueous solution of the hydroxide of said reactive metal; contacting said electrolyte with an acid anhydride which, upon contact with said electrolyte, precipitates at least one insoluble compound of said reactive metal; separating said compound from said electrolyte; and recirculating said separated electrolyte to said reaction zone.
 17. The method of claim 16 wherein said reactive metal comprises an alkali metal.
 18. The method of claim 17 wherein said alkali metal comprises lithium.
 19. The method of claim 16 wherein said acid anhydride comprises a compound of an element selected from the group consisting of phosphorous, silicon and titanium.
 20. The method of claim 19 wherein said compound additionally comprises an element selected from the group consisting of fluorine and oxygen.
 21. The method of claim 20 wherein said acid anhydride comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of P₂ 0₅, SiF₄, PF₅, TiF₄ and Ti(OR)₄, where R is an organic radical.
 22. The method of claim 21 wherein said organic radical comprises a lower alkyl group.
 23. The method of claim 20 wherein said acid anhydride comprises a compound of oxygen and fluorine.
 24. The method of claim 23 wherein said acid anhydride comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of SiOF₂, POF₃ and P
 25. The method of claim 16 wherein said acid anhydride comprises elements having atomic numbers less than about
 70. 26. The method of claim 25 wherein said acid anhydride comprises elements having atomic numbers less than about
 35. 27. The method of claim 26 wherein said acid anhydride comprises boron.
 28. The method of claim 27 wherein said acid anhydride comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of BF₃ and BF₃.H₂
 0. 29. The method of claim 16 wherein said acid anhydride is provided in a gaseous form.
 30. The method of claim 29 wherein said gaseous acid anhydride comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of POF₃, PF₅ and BF₃. 